


By Fair Means or Foul

by ScalePhoenix14825



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 13:37:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2430776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScalePhoenix14825/pseuds/ScalePhoenix14825
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jareth didn't expect this. No one did. Lily is the only 'half-breed' in any realm and she has managed to unknowingly captured the heart of a certain Goblin King. What no one knows is, there's more to Lily Valentine than they give her credit for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**Third Person POV**

" _Let me show you what I can offer you. I can give you everything you've ever wanted._ " came a dark, deep, pleading voice in the back of her blackened mind. Lily had blackened out some time ago and couldn't remember anything. Sitting up quickly from her lying position in the grass, she looked around her and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

She took another look around her surroundings again. She was lying in a grass patch in the middle of a forest. The grass was soft to the touch and was a lovely shade of dark green. She cautiously got up and wobbled as she did. Luckily, there was a tree nearby that she grabbed hold of to keep herself from falling.

" _You should be more careful, love._ " came the same voice. " _Wouldn't want anything to happen to you._ "

Lily looked around. This time the voice wasn't coming from within her mind, but from around her, in the wind. When she tried to speak, her throat burned and no sound came out. She looked around panicked. "No need to panic, love. You'll be able to speak soon enough." the voice came again, but now it came from behind her.

She spun around and quickly regretted it. A tall, slim man with light blond hair was leaning against the same tree with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. She tried to speak again, but was only stopped by the burning sensation. "Now, now, my Lily Pad. No need to worry. I'm only here to make you an offer." he said softly.

Even though his voice was soft, she could tell there was something underneath it. She moved away from him instinctively and she saw something she couldn't name flash across his eyes.

In two long strides, he was in front of her and looking down at her. He removed a leather glove from his right hand and placed it on her throat.

To her surprise, his touch was cold, almost like ice. Instantly, the burning in her throat stopped and his cool touch was slightly warmer. He slowly removed his hand and put the leather glove back on. "All I'm ask is that you let me speak." he told her, crossing his arms over his chest again.

Lily didn't say anything and waited for him to continue. The man smirked and walked closer to her. "I'm going to make you a little deal." he told her, a crystal popping into his hand. He held it up for her to see. "I've locked your memories in this crystal. There are two ways for you to retrieve them.

"Your first option, stay here. With me. I've watched you for far too long now. It's time I've made my move. If you choose this option, you will become part of  _this_  realm." he explained, watching her expression.

"And why would you want me to become part of this realm?" she asked, looking up at him. He waited for a moment before answering her question, thinking over his own answer. "Because my dear Lily Pad, you've caught my attention after all these years."

Lily didn't know what to say. He obviously knew who she was, but she had no idea who he was. He seemed familiar in some way, but she couldn't place it. When she didn't say anything, he continued. "Your second choice is to solve my Labyrinth. If you make it to my castle in the time given, your memories will be returned and I shall return you home. You shall never hear from me again, unless requested by none other than yourself. You will have thirteen hours." he explained.

She could hear the truth behind his words. As she looked into his eyes, she could see that his words were true. "The decision is yours, love." he said, moving closer to her. He tucked a stray lock auburn hair behind her ear and ran the the back of his hand across her cheek. He chuckled when fear flashed in her eyes. "Do not worry your pretty little head off. No physical harm will come to you while you're under my protection." he told her, smirking as she shivered under his touch.

"Now tell me, my Lily Pad. What is your decision?" he asked, reluctantly pulling his hand from her soft skin.

Lily didn't know what to say. She stood there for a minute dumbfounded. He terrified her. She had only "known" him for a few minutes and here he was having her decide her future when she didn't even remember her own past. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice no higher than a whisper. "Time will revile the answer to your question. For now you may refer to me as the Goblin King." he told her with a smirk, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Her eyes widened, causing the Goblin King to let out a deep chuckle. "I already know what your choice is, love." he said lightly, walking around behind her. "Let me give you something." he whispered into her ear, placing one hand on her hip and placing the other on her on her temple. She gasped at the coolness of his touch again and her vision went black.

Jareth chuckled as the girl went limp in his arms. Leaning down, he laid her back down in the grass. He brushed a few strands of auburn hair from her face and stood up. With one last look, he vanished back to his castle.

" _Lily, time to come inside." 6 year old Lily heard being called. She looked down from her perch on one of the many trees in the forest to see her uncle looking up at her. A large smile spread across her face as she made her way down from her spot. Once she made it to the ground, she ran into her uncle's arms. He wrapped his arms around the young girl and picked her up. "Lily, you know it's dangerous to go off on your own." he scolded her as they made their way back to their home._

" _I know uncle, but I can handle myself. I've been doing really well with my training." she told the older, platinum blond man. This caused him to laugh deeply as they approached a rather large tree. The tree had a door cut into it and the man carried Lily into the tree. The inside was completely different than the outside._

_The tree was hollowed out and was made into home. "I'm sure it has, but that doesn't mean you're ready to take anything on." her uncle told her, walking into the kitchen and sitting Lily down on the counter. Lily looked down at her feet, kicking them slightly. "I'm sorry I worried you, uncle." she said lowly._

_Her uncle looked at her and was quiet. He chose his next words as carefully as he could. "Lily, if something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Your father left you here with me to protect you." he told his niece, wrapping his arms around her. "All I want is your safety."_

" _But why?" she asked, her voice muffled as she buried her face into her uncle's chest. Her uncle sighed and picked her up again, taking her into their small living area and sitting down on one of the large chairs. "Before he brought you here to live with me, did your father ever tell you that you were special and that you were different?" he asked, positioning the young girl so that she was sitting comfortably in his lap._

" _Sometimes. I don't really remember though." she said, resting her head on her uncle's shoulder. Her uncle chuckled and squeezed her a little tighter to him. "You_ are _special, Lily. Your teacher has taught you about all the different realms and how each race has their own realm. It's very rare for one race to enter the realm of another." he told her._

 _Lily said nothing and just listened to her uncle. "That's what makes you special, Lily. Your mom and dad are from two different realms. Your dad is from this realm and your mom is from the Asrai's realm. That's what makes you special. You're the only, and I_ do _hate this word, 'half-breed' in any realm."_

Lily shot up again and rubbed her temples, trying to douse the throbbing pain. After a few seconds, the pain stopped and she looked around. She sighed in relief when she saw she was alone. Using the tree to help herself up, she looked around for the first time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Third Person POV**

Lily leaned against the tree and looked around at her surroundings. The clearing she was in was surrounded by thick, tall trees and lush, dark green grass. Looking up at the sky, she saw that it was already dark outside and shivered when a gust of wind rustled through the trees.

Looking down, she took in what she was wearing. She had on a pair of black, bootcut jeans and a light blue, short sleeve, button down shirt with a simple pair of white tennis shoes.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard yelling from somewhere in the trees. "Help! Help!" she heard being yelled frantically over and over again. Lily pushed herself off the tree and moved cautiously towards the yelling. She knew she was going in the right direction when the shouting became louder and she could hear other voices.

She could see blinking pink, green, and blue lights between the trees. As she got closer to the trees, she realized that the lights weren't blinking, they were moving so fast around the trees that it made it look like they were blinking.

"Who's there?" Lily called out, moving closer to the lights. Just as she called out, the lights stopped moving and the shouting stopped. "Help me!" came a tiny voice and the blue light sped towards her. The blue light stopped right in front of Lily's face.

She blinked several times, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her. The blue light transformed into a tiny girl with blue wings on her back. "You have to help me! Please!" she said frantically. When she noticed the two other lights were headed this way, she transformed back into a light and fled behind Lily's back.

The pink and green lights flew up to her and stopped in front of Lily, further back than the blue on had, but still pretty close. The two transformed into tiny girls with wings as well, but they looked different than the blue one. These two had platinum blond hair, while the other one had dark black hair.

"We know you're hiding, Aliessa." the green one said snidely.

"What makes you think she's going to protect you? She doesn't even know you! And if she did, she wouldn't even think twice about protecting you." the pink one said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What makes you think I won't protect her? And where do you two come off bullying her?" Lily asked angrily, placing her hands on her hips. Aliessa poked her small head over Lily's shoulder and watched the interaction take place.

"You mean you're actually going to stand up for her?" the pink one asked shocked. The two of them shared a look and then turned back to Lily. "You must be new here, so we'll take it easy on you." the green one said. "I'm twenty times bigger than you. What do you think you could possibly do?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey! We may be small, but our magic is extremely powerful." the pink one retorted angrily, her tiny hands balling into fists.

"Calm down, Greta. She's obviously never met a pixie before and doesn't understand our powers." the green one told the pink one, who Lily was assuming was Greta. "That's not the point, Fiona! Even if she doesn't understand, that gives her no right to underestimate us!" Greta yelled. Lily stepped back a little when Greta started to glow a bright pink. Fiona moved back as well. "Greta, be careful!" Fiona yelled.

There was a pause and Greta's glowing became even brighter before a large fireball shot out from her glowing form and started towards Lily. Lily gasped and shut her eyes, waiting for the burning impact. When there was none, she opened her eyes and looked around in shock. She looked down at herself to see if anything had caught fire. When everything checked out okay, she looked back up at the two pixies.

They looked at her with shock and fear evident on their faces. "What are you?" Flora asked in horror as she started to back away from Lily. Greta was frozen in her spot and just stared at Lily terrified. Flora started tugging on Greta's arm and she went without a second thought. Turning back into balls of light, they fled from Lily as fast as possible.

Lily looked around confused. Aliessa came out from behind Lily and stopped in front of her face. "That was amazing! How'd you do that?" Aliessa asked, a big smile spreading across her face. Lily looked at her confused. "Do what? I didn't do anything." she said, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Greta's fireball just evaporated when it came close to you. It was amazing! I've never seen anything like it! Greta's fireballs are famous amongst pixies for being the most powerful. I've never seen her so humiliated!" Aliessa said gleefully. Lily laughed half-heartedly. "I don't know what I did. I guess it just happened." she said.

Lily lifted her hand and Aliessa looked down at it. With a smile, she sank down and sat in the palm of Lily's hand. "You're so small." Lily said with a small laugh. Aliessa just gave her a funny look and tucked her hair behind her ear, not responding. After a moment, Lily decided she should ask. "Why were those two chasing you?"

Aliessa looked up at Lily and blushed. "Because I'm different." she said, looking down at feet. Lily just looked down at her confused. "What's wrong with being different?" Lily asked. Aliessa looked up at her then. "Because. Just...because." she told Lily. "You know, Pixies aren't born. We grow in flowers. Tulips to be precise. That's why we're 'born' with blond hair and how we get our powers. I was 'born; with black hair and no powers." Aliessa explained.

There was a long pause before Lily broke the silence. "I don't think there's anything wrong with being different. If it makes you feel any better, I don't remember anything." Lily told the Pixie with a small smile. Aliessa looked up at Lily. "What?" she asked confused. Lily just laughed a little and told Aliessa about her encounter with the Goblin King.

"You're kidding!" Aliessa exclaimed. "I can help you, if you want." Aliessa said shyly. Lily thought about Aliessa's offer. If Aliessa came with her, she wouldn't be alone and she might have a chance of making her way though this thing. Lily didn't know how big this place was and it would be kinda nice to have someone with her.

"You know what? Sure. It'll be nice to have someone around and not be lonely." Lily said, smiling at the small girl in her hand. Aliessa jumped up and and hugged Lily's cheek. "Thank you so much, Lily! It'll be great to be wanted around by someone." Aliessa said. She might have been small, but it was nice for Lily to have someone she could trust.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Third Person POV**

Jareth sat in his throne, his legs dangling off the side, with a crystal in his hand. He watched as the girl confronted the three Pixies, Greta, Fiona, and Aliessa. He got a little worried when Greta started to loose her temper. When she went to throw one of her fireballs at Lily, he evaporated it before it could hit the girl.

When he promised that no physical harm would come to her while in his Labyrinth, he had every intention of keeping that promise to her.

He watched as she made friends with the outcast Pixie. That was one thing he had found most intriguing when he had first met her. She had compassion that would put any Elf to shame. But then again, she was raised by an Elf. He was surprised when the young pixie agreed to go along with his Lily Pad. Aliessa wan't known amongst the pixies for being the most brave and outgoing.

Then again, he was happy that his Lily wouldn't be traveling alone. He was planning on joining her in his owl form when she started to panic about the Labyrinth. Now he wouldn't get that chance. It made him a little sad to think about it. He couldn't go to her in his owl form without the pixie knowing who he was. Everyone in the Labyrinth knew of his owl form. That made things more difficult than he wanted.

He glanced out of the window and sighed to himself. The throne room was practically empty, with the exception of a few goblins who'd fallen asleep on the straw covered floor. Luckily, this was the only room he normally allowed the wretched little creature in.

Getting up from his throne, he nudged one out of his path with his foot and made his way up the stairs. He knew if he didn't stop watching the girl now, he'd never be able to relax and get the rest he needed. It had been quite late when he had placed her in the forest clearing. There was about two hours before sunrise.

He had his highest respected goblins keeping tabs on the girl and that would give him at least a few hours of peace without having to worry about her. He chuckled to himself. Who was he kidding? He was always worried about his Lily Pad. That was why he would do everything in his power to convince her to stay with him.

Trying to push the thoughts of the girl from his mind, with no success,

Lily and Aliessa were walking through the woods, trying to find their way out. "Are you sure this is the way out?" Lily asked, looking around skeptically. Aliessa gave her a weird look and flew back to Lily, sitting on her shoulder. "Of course I'm sure."

"Okay. I guess I have no choice but to follow your lead." Lily sighed. They had been walking for at least a half an hour now. "Don't worry. Not too much further." Aliessa said cheerfully, hopping off of Lily's shoulder and into the air. Lily laughed a little at her new-found friend.

After moments of silence, Lily broke it with a question. "What's his name?"

Aliessa just looked at her confused. "Who?" she asked, curious about Lily's question. "The Goblin King. He never told me his name. He said time would tell." Lily explained. Aliessa was quiet for a minute before answering. "No one knows. It's said that a Fay's name holds extremely powerful magic and is only trusted with those they trust." Aliessa explained, a little surprised that the king would tell her his name.

They went into an awkward silence for a while and then it turned into a more comfortable silence as they made their way through the woods.

"Look!" Aliessa yelled out a while later, jumping off of Lily's shoulder and flying ahead. "I can see something ahead. I'm almost positive we're almost out!" she said fluttering around excitedly. Lily just laughed and followed her friend. A few minutes later they stepped out from the woods and Lily stopped abruptly.

"Wow." she said under her breath. Aliessa noticed that Lily had stopped walking and flew back to her. "What's wrong?" she asked, sitting on Lily's shoulder. Lily looked around speechless. "It's beautiful here. What  _is_  this place?" she asked the pixie. Aliessa doubled over in laughter and fell off of Lily's shoulder. Before she hit the ground, she caught herself and flew back up so she was face to face with Lily.

"You really don't have any memory, do you?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Lily just gave her a strange look. "I didn't think you were lying, I just didn't really think you had no clue." Aliessa explained. When Lily didn't answer, Aliessa shook her head and turned away from her. "This is the Labyrinth. It's located within the goblin realm. We just came out of the Tanglewood Forest. It looks like we're coming up to the door, though." she said, the last part sounding skeptical.

"What's the door?" Lily asked, following after Aliessa, who was flying ahead of her. "When there's a runner in the Labyrinth, they have to opportunity of finding the door. If they find the door, the Labyrinth decides whether they're worthy or not. If they are, they're sent straight to the castle. If they're not, they're sent back to very beginning." Aliessa explained.

Lily stopped in her tracks and looked at the pixie. "What'd you mean 'the Labyrinth decides whether or not you're worthy'?" she asked, confused. Aliessa sighed and stopped again. "You know, we're never going to get anywhere if you keep stopping and asking questions. You need to trust me. I wouldn't lead astray." she told Lily, seriousness evident in her tone.

Jareth jumped when there was a knock at his chamber doors. He had tried getting some rest, but failed miserably when every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the girl. Some of the images were more pleasing than others, but he wasn't going to go down that road again. He had given up on trying to get some sleep and was now leaning against the balcony doorway.

"What is so important that you've interrupted me?" he barked, pushing off the frame and heading for the doors. Opening them, he was surprised to see Sebastian, a male dryad servant, standing outside of his chambers. Jareth smirked a little to see that he look completely terrified.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, sire, but Lester sent me to let you know that the pixie has lead the Valentine girl to the door." he said meekly, his eyes never leaving the ground. Jareth's eyes widened at the mention of the door. If the Labyrinth chose her, she'd be sent straight to the castle, ruining everything.

"Very well. You're dismissed, Sebastian." Jareth said coldly, shutting the doors after the young dryad bowed and turned to leave.

Walking out onto the balcony, he glared up at the dark night sky. Now that his first plan was shot, he'd have to make up a new plan. Fast.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Third Person POV**

After minutes of frustrating planning, Jareth devised a new plan. One that should work better than his original. She would most certainly fall for it. She had to. Smiling to himself, Jareth closed his eyes and remembered the first time he had met his Lily Pad.

_Jareth walked around in the woods outside of the Elven kingdom. He had been there to have a meeting with the Elf King and his annoying new wife. They were trying to create a treaty amongst their two realms. Much to Jareth's annoyance, the meeting was unproductive._

_Jareth was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the laughter of a child._

_Lifting his eyes from the ground, he saw a small child, no more than four, running through the woods laughing to herself. As he looked at the child, he felt his heart give a painful lurch. Looking back at the girl, he couldn't stop herself from thinking that her auburn hair was a perfect shade of red and brown and her silver eyes were alluring._

_The child stopped abruptly when she saw him. She was no more than a few feet away from him and he felt a need to take her into his arms. "Who're you?" she asked and all Jareth could think was that her voice sounded like music._

_He kneeled down in front of the child and gave her a warm smile. "I'm Jareth. Who are you, young one?" he asked. She looked down at her feet and then back up at him with a huge smile of her own. "I'm Lily!" she said cheerfully. "Uncle says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers, though. But you seem nice enough." she told him, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of a child._

_He smiled at how naive she was. He didn't blame her though. To be fair, she was a child. The picture of innocence. "You should listen to your uncle. He's right. You shouldn't talk to strangers." he told her._

_She looked at him and crossed her arms over her small torso. "So, you're saying I shouldn't be talking to you?" she asked, countering his effort. He chuckled a little. "Touche, my Lily Pad. But promise me this, I'll be the last stranger you talk to." he told her. Lily looked up at him, deep in thought. After a moment, a smile spread across her face. "I promise." she said, holding her pinky out to him._

_Jareth looked her in confusion. Lily rolled her silver eyes. "It's a pinky promise. Uncle told me that a pinky promise can never be broken. No matter what." she explained, taking his much bigger hand in hers. She folded his hand so only his pinky stuck out._

_She wrapped her pinky around his. "I promise you're the last stranger I'll talk to." she giggled. Jareth couldn't help but watch her in awe and smile at the child. "Now you're my new best friend." she said happily, dropping his hand. Jareth blinked several times. Standing up, her looked down at her and then up at the sky. It was getting dark and these woods were known for being dangerous at night._

" _Well then, as your new friend, it's my duty to make sure you make it home safely." he told her. She giggled and grabbed his hand again, pulling him in the direction that she had come from. It only took them a few minutes for them to reach the tree that she lived in with her uncle. He never understood why elves lived in trees._

_With her hand still in his, he kneeled down so he was eye level with her. "Now don't forget your promise. No more strangers." he told her with a small smile._

_Lily smiled and threw her small arms around Jareth's neck in a hug that would have strangled another child. "I promise." she whispered and pulled away before Jareth could comprehend what happened._

" _Jareth, will I see you again?" she asked after a moment of silence, looking up at him with worry in her eyes. Jareth chuckled and placed a gloved hand on her cheek, almost laughing when her entire face fit into the palm of her hand. "I promise." he whispered and stood back up._

_Lily laughed and ran into her home. "I'm back!" he heard her yell. He chuckled and vanished from the place he had just been in to find that he had transported into the guest chambers that the Elven King had offered for him to stay in till he went back to his own realm._

_He laid in the bed late that night tossing and turing. He knew he wouldn't be able to get any sleep. Not now. His parents had warned him of this when he was a child, no older than Lily. Fay refer to it as the Vow. It happens very rarely and few fey find their true intended. Most just make do with someone they love, like his parents did._

_Now he had found his and she was nothing more than a child._

_He fully planned on keeping his promise to the girl though. He would visit with her any chance he got._

_Not being able to get any sleep, Jareth got out of bed and went to the window. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a beautiful white barn owl and flew into the woods, looking for that specific tree._

_When he found it, he landed on one of the makeshift window sills and looked around the small room. Fate must have been on his side because it just happened to be the room he was looking for. Flying into the small room, Jareth stopped in the center and transformed back into his original form._

_As quietly as he could, he walked over to the small bed and sat at the edge. Watching the young girl sleep made him feel happy inside. Knowing that she was safe. He placed a soft kiss to her forehead and stood from the bed after what felt like hours of watching her sleep._

_Feeling content, he vanished back to his room at the elven castle and laid back in bed. She was safe. For now. The last thought caused him to toss and turn in his sleep that night._

Jareth smiled at the memory. She had been so innocent back then. Now she was a beautiful woman who made him breathless with just the thought of her. That memory was old, very old, but he remembered it like it was yesterday.

Jareth smiled to himself and hopped onto the ledge and hopped off, transforming before he could hit the ground. Time to put his new plan into effect.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five  
Third Person POV  
Aliessa was explaining everything she knew about the Labyrinth to Lily, who was trying to keep up with every word. Her mind started to wonder as Aliessa started to talk about the different races that were found here in the Goblin Realm. She started to think about the Goblin Kings gift.

She kept wondering why he would give her part of her memory back. She came up blank with every idea she came up with.

"Did you hear me?" Aliessa asked, bringing Lily out of her thoughts. Lily looked up at the small pixie and gave an apologetic look. "Sorry. Lost in my own thoughts." she said. Aliessa just rolled her eyes and repeated herself. "Ever since realms have been loosing their magic, the races that live there are forced to move into new realms.

"That's what happened to the pixies. Our realm dried up and vanished. We decided we liked this realm and, with the blessing of the king, we came here." Aliessa told her. Then she started to go into stories told to pixie children about their realm and its magic.

Lily stopped listening to Aliessa when a small crystal ball rolled past her feet and down a dark pathway to her right. It looked like the one the Goblin King had shown her, her curiosity got the better of her and she went after it.

The pathway was completely dark and Lily stopped because she was starting to feel scared. As if sensing her fear, the crystal stopped rolling and started letting off a light glow, lighting only a small portion of the path.

Just as Lily went to step forewords, towards the crystal, it moved again. She soon realized that it only moved if and when she did. She came to the conclusion that it wanted to take her somewhere.

Up in one of the trees, an owl was perched and watched the girl follow the crystal with big, mischievous eyes. When she was far enough from the pixie, the owl flew from its perch and followed her at a distance.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six  
Third Person POV  
Lily followed the crystal for what felt like hours. I was more like 15 minutes, but being alone in the dark made it seem like much more. She thought she kept hearing whooshing noises from up above, but every time she looked up, all she could see was darkness. It was starting to freak her out.

The pathway was still completely dark, with the exception of the lighted area given off by the crystal she was following. Lily sighed to herself, tucked her hands into her pockets to warm them up and continued following the crystal.

She knew she shouldn't have left Aliessa behind, but she was curious and didn't know why her curiosity seemed to take over her actions.

After what felt like even longer than before, the crystal stopped abruptly. Lily stopped also, eying the crystal suspiciously. She didn't know why, but now that it stopped, she felt uncomfortable around it. There was something in the back of her mind telling her to turn back. To run back to Aliessa.

Just as she started to back away, she felt something wrap around her waist. When she went to scream, a hand wrapped around her mouth. The grip wasn't tight, but it was demanding and powerful.

"Now, now, love. No need to panic. I made a promise, didn't I?" came a low, smooth, authoritative voice in her ear. Lily struggled against his hold, but soon realized that her efforts were worthless and she wasn't going anywhere.

Jareth chuckled and started rubbing smooth circles into her hip. "Why don't you trust me, love. I don't want to hurt you. All I want is your happiness." he whispered into her ear. He felt a sense of pride when she shivered against him. He pulled her closer to his chest and slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

"Now, no screaming, dear. I'd like to keep my eardrums intact." he told her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Without warning, the crystal that laid forgotten on the ground floated up from said ground and floated towards them.

Just as Lily was about to ask what was going on, both of them were absorbed in flash of bright light.

'Jareth, I need you...Please.'

A twelve year old Lily lay on her bed, crying. There was a sudden gush of wind through her open window and she looked up to see Jareth standing by her window. She got up from her bed and ran into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and cried.

Jareth had been surprised when she had called for him. He hadn't seen her in months. He had been trying to keep away from her and give her a chance to live a normal life. He just couldn't find it in himself to deny her request for him to come. He was even more surprised when he arrived in her room to find her so distraught. Wanting to comfort her, he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry.

A while later, she pulled away and wiped the tears away with her sleeve. "What has you so upset, my Lily Pad?" he asked quietly, wiping away a few tears she had missed. Before she could answer his question, he lifted her up bridal style and carried her to a chair in the corner of the room.

Sitting down, he set her in his lap and let her curl into him. He waited patiently for her to calm down and tell him why she had called for him. They sat like that for a while and Jareth didn't want it to end, even though he knew it would have to eventually.

He couldn't help the way his heart swelled just by having her so close to him and her taking comfort in just by being close to him.

"Why are people so cruel?" Lily whispered, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Jareth was taken aback by her question. "Lily, what's brought this on? What happened?" he asked, his arms tightening around her protectively.

Lily shuddered and the grip she had around his neck became tighter. "They keep saying I'm a freak. You don't think I'm a freak, do you?" she asked quietly, refusing to lift her head from his shoulder. Jareth felt a surge of anger flood through him.

He lightly took hold of her chin and lifted her head so that she was looking at him. "I would never think of you as a freak, love. You mean the world to me. I would never do or say anything that would hurt you, emotionally or physically." he told her softly.

He watched as tears began forming again and she buried her face in his shoulder again. "Thank you, Jareth. You don't know how much that means to me." she whispered.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours to Jareth. Not that he minded. He enjoyed holding her. He had felt her breathing even out a while ago. Smiling softly, he lifted up bridal style again and carried her to her bed.

Her arms were easy to unwrap from around his neck as he laid her down. After he covered her with the light blanket, he brushed a few strands of auburn hair from her face as she slept. He felt his heart swell at how peaceful and innocent she looked in her sleep.

Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss to her forehead and backed away towards the window. With one last look at the girl, he vanished with a gush of wind and appeared back in his throne room.

He sat down in his throne with a sigh. Conjuring up a crystal, he watched his Lily sleeping peacefully in her bed, curled up in a ball underneath the covers. He knew at the moment he would do anything she asked of him. He also knew it was pointless trying to stay away from her. He knew she would never have a normal life, not with being a half of two realms.

Jareth's grip around Lily tightened as she lost consciousness. He lifted her up bridal style and even after all these years, she still felt weightless to him. The crystal had released a special magical dust that only put elves to sleep and with her being half elf, she went out like a light.

Now Jareth could put his plan to the test.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Third Person POV**

Jareth appeared in his room with Lilyʼs still unconscious body in his arms. He carefully made his way to his bed and laid her on the silken sheets. Walking over to the second wardrobe in the room, he opened it to find that it had been filled with the clothing he had ordered one of the seamstress to make for Lily.

Rummaging through the clothing, he was pleased to see that they were all colors that would bring out the color of her eyes, hair, or skin. Smiling, he ran his hand over the smooth fabric of the dresses and began looking for something.

When he found what he was looking for, he took the light blue night gown. He looked it over and frowned. He thought it would look ravishing on her, but he knew she wouldnʼt appreciate the length. It would only go down to about mid thigh. Not to mention the cut of the chest. The amount of cleavage it would show made his mind a little fuzzy.

Shaking his head, he looked around in the wardrobe some more, looking for something that was a little more modest. He sighed when all he found were different colors of the same style he was holding in his hand. He shook his head and closed the wardrobe.

Making his way back to the bed, he sat on the edge. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, like he had done so many times before as he sat and watched her sleep. He laid the night gown onto her body and with a wave of his hand, her clothing disappeared and the night gown seemed to melt onto her.

His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her. She looked more than beautiful. This plan had to work. He wouldnʼt be able to go on if she rejected him. He looked out the window and grinned. The sun was starting to come up and it was the perfect time to start.

As carefully as possible, he shifted her so she was laying in the center of his bed and brought the sheet up so that it laid across her waist. He conjured up a crystal and threw it into the air above her, where it stayed until he snapped his fingers and a burst of glitter showered over her. Lily woke up laying on what looked like a beach. She sat up and looked around. The sun was starting to come up across the waters. She looked down at herself and gasped.

She was wearing a lovely light blue dress that when she stood up, it gathered at her feet. The sleeves were long and flared out at her fingertips. The cut of the chest surprised her. It was low enough to show she was defiantly an endowed women, but high enough not to show off too much and leave everything to the imagination. She loved the feeling of the fabric. It felt like silk.

"Itʼs lovely, isnʼt it?" she heard from behind her. She turned to see the man who had plagued her dreams as a child, looking out at the waters with his hands clasped behind his back. "Jareth? Is that really you?" she asked, her voice no higher than a whisper. She couldnʼt believe it. She  _wouldnʼt_ believe it.

"Itʼs me, love." he said softly, smiling as he walked up next to her. She turned and looked out at the water. "It is beautiful." she said lowly. Jareth calculated his response very carefully before answering. "Not as beautiful as you though, my Lily Pad." he told her, brushing some hair behind her ear. He smiled when she blushed a deep red.

"Why did you stop coming?" she asked after a moment of silence. Just as he was about to answer her question, she stopped him. "My uncle thought you were my imaginary friend. After a while, as I got older and you started showing up less, I started to think so too. I was never able to make friends as a child and it only made sense that I would  _make_ myself a friend." she said, looking down at the sand.

She was quiet for a while before looking up at him. He felt his heart wrench when he saw tears in her eyes. "I wanted nothing more than for you to be real. You made me feel like I had a place, like I wasnʼt an outcast." she said, her voice strained and tears falling.

"What if I am real?" he asked, taking her face between his hands and wiping the tears away. She shook her head and pulled away from his hands. "Then why did you stop coming? Why after all these years do you come to me now, when I didnʼt call for you?" she asked, more tears spilling from her eyes as she spilled all the pent up emotions from the years.

"But you did call for me, love. You just donʼt remember it. And because I got tired of waiting. Iʼm a selfish man, Lily. I would have taken you with me when I found you in the woods all those years ago, but I knew you would resent me later in life for it. So I did what I thought was best. I waited and became someone you could call for when you needed me." he told her, cupping her cheek with his gloved hand. There was a short pause before he continued.

"I stopped coming when the war started. I had my duties as king and I had to make sure my kingdomʼs safety was ensured. I tried looking for you, to make sure you were safe, but every time I used my power to locate you, I was never able to find you." he told her, unconsciously rubbing smooth circles on her cheek with his thumb.

"You tried to find me?" she asked, surprised that he had tried looking for her when he should have been keeping an eye on his kingdom. "Of corse I did. You meant, and still do, mean the world to me." he said, smiling softly at her.

She looked into his eyes and then closed her own, placing her hand over his. Then she moved foreword and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. After the surprise warred off, he wrapped his arms around her as well and burying his face in her hair. He smiled when her hair pleasantly smelled of strawberries.

Lily smiled a little as she felt his arms wrap around her as well. She would never admit it out loud, but she felt whole when she was with him. She even felt that way when she was little. He seemed to fill a hole in her heart that had been there for as long as she could remember. Then something hit her like a ton of bricks.

She pulled away slightly and looked up at him confused. "Why did you take my memories? How do I have them now?" she asked. Jareth just chuckled and pulled her against him again. She relaxed into his hold and rested her head on his chest again.

"I took your memories, love, because you asked me to. Maybe not intentionally, but you did ask. And you have your memories now because this is nothing but a dream. When you wake up, your memories will still be held within one of my crystals." he told her.

She was silent for a moment and he thought he may have just ruined everything. "So I wonʼt remember this." she whispered, her grip around him tightening. Jareth chuckled again and tightened his hold around her as well. "Of corse not. Youʼll remember this when you wake up. All you have to do is ask, Iʼll restore your memories when you awaken." he whispered into her ear.

All of a sudden, Lily started to feel tired again. "Jareth, whatʼs happening?" she asked, pulling away from him as her eyes starting to droop. Jareth smiled and looked down at her. "Itʼs okay, Lily Pad. Trust me. Everything will be fine." he told her. Without warning, he bent down and captured her lips in a mind blowing kiss.

When he pulled away, her eyes were clouded over and she looked like she would fall asleep at any second. He pulled her against him and leaned down so he could whisper in her ear. "This makes things easier for the both of us, love. Sleep."

As if bending to his will, she nuzzled into his chest and let her eyes close, her mind going blank the second they shut.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Third Person POV**

Jareth watched as she stirred in her magic induced sleep. He knew that she would be extremely tired when she woke up. Magic induced sleep only made a person more tired than they had been before they were put to sleep.

He walked over to the bed and laid down next to her. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. He ran his hand down the side of her face. Her eyes closed again and she curled up next to him, draping her arm over his waist and resting her head on his chest.

His eyes widened at the action and his surprised expression changed to a smile spreading across his face. He wrapped his arm protectively around her waist and held her to him as she slept. He knew he wouldnʼt get any sleep, so he laid there and held her, reveling in the feeling of having her in such an intimate position.

He wasnʼt surprised when she slept for at least four hours. He tensed when he felt her stir a little in her sleep. He was worried about what would happen when she woke up. The dream had worked better than he planned, but when she woke up, she wouldnʼt remember who he was except from what she knew from the dream.

She stirred again and her arm tightened around his waist. He ran a hand through her hair and chuckled a little when she sighed contently. She murmured something inaudible and shifted the way she was curled around him. Suddenly her eyes flew open and she looked up at him. He could see fear in her eyes and it made him feel terrible. She shouldnʼt fear him, she should love him.

"Good morning, love." he whispered, subconsciously tightening his arm around her waist. He watched as fear flashed across her eyes again and immediately loosened his grip. She looked down at herself and blushed. Jareth mentally kicked himself and made a mental note to have the seamstress make some different night clothing for Lily, if she decided to stay.

With that last thought, he sat up and stood up. He straightened his shirt and cleared his throat. "Iʼll leave you to get dressed. There are clothes in the wardrobe for you." he told her softly, his eyes softening when he looked at her. With one last look, he went to leave the room. Lily flew into a sitting position. "Donʼt go!" she said abruptly, sounding a little panicked.

She blushed when Jareth turned around and look at her, shock evident on his face. Lily blushed and brought the sheet up to cover herself. Lily looked down to hide her blush and tightened the sheets around herself. "I-I mean..." she said lowly, trying to cover up her mistake. She bit her lip and looked up at him again.

"Donʼt go. Please." she pleaded, her voice nothing more than a whisper as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.

Jareth was beyond surprised. He thought with the look she had given him when she first woke up, she would hate him and want to leave as soon as she could. She was asking him to stay.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he saw a few tears fall down her cheeks. In three long strides, he made his way back to the bed and sat on the edge. He wrapped his arm around her waist and, being considerate about the sheet wrapped securely around her, pulled her into his lap and wiped the tears away.

After he got rid of the offending tears, he lifted her chin so she was looking into his eyes. "Iʼll stay for as long as youʼll have me." he told her. Before she could respond, he leaned down and seized her lips. Technically, their first kiss didnʼt count because it was in a dream. This was technically their first kiss and Jareth hopped there would be many more in the future.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**Third Person POV**

When Jareth pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers. "When we were in my dream, I knew you so well and you meant so much to me. How is it that I could forget something like that?" she asked, refusing to open her eyes. Jareth chucked and opened his eyes to watch her face.

"Remember what I told you in your dream. All you have to do is ask and Iʼll restore your memories." he told her. She bit her lip and opened her eyes to look at him. "You also said that I asked you to take them. How do I know if I would want them back or not?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

Jareth sighed and ran his free hand through her hair. "Thatʼs a question I donʼt have an answer to, love. You need to make that decision on your own." he told her. She was quiet for some time, thinking over her decision. She wanted to know about her past with him, but she didnʼt want to know what had caused her to ask him to take her memory away. She looked down and reached for his hand.

She toyed with his fingers as she thought. Technically, she had no idea who he was and here she was sitting in his lap after he had just given her a mind blowing kiss. Jareth watched in amazement as Lily sat in his lap and fidgeted with his hand. He couldnʼt remember ever being this nervous, but he waited patiently, not wanting her to feel rushed. She sat there for about ten minutes, worrying her bottom lip.

Lily looked up at him and smiled. "Iʼve made my decision." she said, sitting up a little straighter. He raised an eyebrow in question. "I want my memories back. I want to remember what it is about you that makes me feel the way I do right now." she told him. Jareth smiled at her and raised their entwined hands. Kissing her hand, he placed hers back in her lap. With his now free hand, he conjured up the crystal the held her memories. He held it out for her to take. She tentatively to the crystal between her hands and looked at it.

"All you have to do is blow on it." he told her when she gave him a questioning look. Lily looked back to the crystal she cradled in between her hands. Just as she was lifting the crystal up to her lips, Jareth secured his arms around her and prepared for what he knew would happen.

Lily let out a small breath to wash over the crystal. The crystal began to glow and burst between her hands. Lily let out a cry of pain and she clutched her head. Jareth pulled her close while she let out whimpers of pain as her memories took their places in her mind. After a while, her whimpers died down and she clutched Jarethʼs shoulders in a death grip.

"Lily? Are you alright?" he asked, concerned about her.

She was silent for a moment and looked up at him. She smiled at him and let go of his shoulder. She lifted them to his face and ran her thumb over his bottom lip. "I feel wonderful." she whispered, leaning up and kissing him. Jareth smirked into the kiss, but kissed back with full enthusiasm nonetheless.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to deepen the kiss. Jareth pulled back and chuckled when she made a annoyed sound in the back of her throat. "As much as Iʼd like to continue, love, you need to take things easy. Youʼre going to be a little weak for a while." he told her, running his hand down her cheek.

"Jareth, I think Iʼve had enough  _rest_." she said, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch. Jareth brought his hand down to cup her chin and leaned down to kiss her lightly and pulled away before  _he_ started taking things too far.

"Youʼd better stop teasing me, Jareth." she warned, causing Jareth to let out a deep laugh. Lily looked up at him and smiled, her silver eyes shinning with excitement. "Itʼs good to have you back, my Goblin King." she said, flashing her pearl white teeth at him in a brilliant smile.

Jareth smiled back. "Itʼs marvelous to have you back as well, my Lily Pad." he replied. Lily let out a bell like giggle and unwrapped her arms from around his neck. He couldnʼt help when his eyes wandered when the sheet fell from around her torso. Lily blushed, but didnʼt try to cover herself this time. At this Jareth smirked. "Not as shy as before?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lilyʼs blush deepened and she looked down. "I guess I just donʼt have anything to be shy about." she said. "You once told me that you wouldnʼt do anything to hurt me, emotionally or physically. I have no reason to hide myself from you." she told him, looking up into his eyes to see amusement in them.

"You havenʼt changed at all." he told her, taking her hand back in his and kissing it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**Third Person POV**

Jareth stood up, with Lily still in his arms, and chuckled when she made a squeaking sound and wrapped her arms around his neck in surprise. With this new position and the blanket completely gone, he had a wonderful view of how she really looked in the night gown. The light blue accented her sliver eyes, made her hair look a couple of shades darker, and her skin looked slightly paler than it had before. He gently set her down on her feet and looked down at her. "Iʼll leave you to get dressed. As I said before, thereʼre clothes in the wardrobe for you. Iʼll send someone up to collect you and then weʼll talk." he told her, running his hand down her cheek as he spoke.

**Lily POV**

I only nodded and watched as he left. I couldnʼt believe that this was happening. I had wanted this since I was a child. All throughout my childhood, after I met Jareth in the woods, he became my ʻknight in shining armorʼ. He always came when I needed him and even when I didnʼt.

Every time I told uncle about him, he thought that I had just made him up. As I got older, Jareth stopped coming and I started to think that I had made him up too. I thought that because I was getting older, I didnʼt need imaginary friends anymore and thatʼs why Jarethʼs visits stopped.

I shook my head and smiled. I knew now that he hadnʼt stopped visiting because he _didnʼt_ want to see me anymore, but because he  _had_ to stop in order to keep his kingdom from destruction.

The war between realms started when I was fifteen and didnʼt end until I was sixty-six. The war lasted for fifty-one years. "Wow." I said out loud, doing the math in my head. I hadnʼt realized it had been than that long. I sighed to myself and pushed all thoughts of the war away. Now wasnʼt the time to dwell on the past.  **(A/N: If you havenʼt figured it out by this point, Iʼm sorry and itʼs completely my** **fault, but because Lily is half elf, sheʼs immortal and doesnʼt age. So when I say** **elf, think of Lord of the Rings elves. It only seems fitting.)** I walked over to the wardrobe Jareth had pointed out, I tentatively turned the knobs. I didnʼt know what women were expected to wear in this realm. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the dresses were plain and normal looking. They were elegant, not that I expected anything else from the Goblin King, but they were simple.

I ran my hand over a dark purple dress and was amazed that it felt so light. I looked through the dresses and decided on a light green renaissance dressthat had a dark green corset and matching cuffs. I smiled at the dress and took it off the hanger. It was smooth to the touch and felt like velvet.

I slipped off the nightgown and draped it across the chair next to the wardrobe. As soon as I got the dress in place around my body, I was surprised that it fit perfectly. I waked over to the body length mirror and looked myself over. I had to admit that it looked fantastic. It made me look older.

I had been disappointed when I stopped ʻagingʼ at seventeen. Now I was a sixty-seven year old stuck in a seventeen year oldʼs body. The dress made me look like I was at least in my early twenties. It molded into the curves of my body just right and made my hips and breast more prominent.

I blushed at that. I wasnʼt used to showing my body off so much. Usually, my outfits consisted of things that were easy to move in. I smiled and went back over to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of dark green flats, slipping them on with ease. I was jarred from my thoughts when there was a knock on the door. Looking over myself one more time and made my way to the door. I opened it to see a young male dryad. He bowed slightly and when he rose, I saw distaste in his eyes. "His Majesty has requested that I escort you to his study." he told me, his voice cold.

**Third Person POV**

Lily nodded and followed him out into the corridor. As the dryad lead Lily to Jarethʼs study, Lily couldnʼt help but look around in amazement. Jareth had told her storied of the Goblin Kingdom when she was a child, but she didnʼt expect it to be anything like this. Everything was so immaculate. Her thoughts were cut off when the dryad stopped in front of a pair of large double doors. He knocked twice on the door and waited. "Enter." they heard from inside after a moments silence. The dryad opened the large doors and stood aside so Lily could enter.

The study was smaller than she thought it would be, considering how large the doors were. There was a rather large deskin the center of the room, sitting on a large round oriental rug. On the left side of the room, the wall was cut out into a large bookcase and on the right side of the room, there was a large fireplace with chairs around it. Behind the desk, there was a large window that took up most of the wall, but the curtain was so dark and thick that it blocked out the light.

Jareth looked up from his desk and smiled when he saw Lily. "There you are, love." he said, standing up and walking around the desk. He leaned on the front of the desk and gave the young dryad and bad look. "Thank you, Sebastian. You may leave." he said curly and waited while Sebastian bowed to his king and left the room.

Once they were alone, Lily stayed where she was. She was uncertain of what to do next. Jareth saw that she was nervous and walked up to her. "You look lovely, dearest. I must admit though, I think I liked the nightgown much more." he said, cupping her cheek. He smirked when she blushed a deep red and leaned down so that his lip ghosted over hers. "No need to be embarrassed. It was meant as a compliment." he said before taking her lips with his.

When he pulled away, he couldnʼt stop the chuckle that escaped him when he saw her blush had deepened even more. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards the door. Lily looked up at him confused and raised an eyebrow. "Where are we going?" she asked, placing her hand over the one he had placed on her hip.

"Lily, we have some vey important things to talk about. I want to go somewhere I know we wont be interrupted." Jareth explained, guiding Lily out of his study and further down the corridor. "Itʼs beautiful here." Lily said, looking around at the paintings that were hanging on the walls, some were small while others were huge and took up the whole wall. "How do you keep is so clean? Any time Iʼve met a goblin, theyʼre not the brightest or cleanest creatures." she added when he raised an eyebrow at her statement. Jareth just chuckled and lead her down a rather large spiral stair case. "I donʼt allow goblin beyond the throne room. All the servants in the castle are from other realms, as you saw with Sebastian." he told her, smiling down at her.

They walked in a comfortable silence until he stopped outside a pair of marble double doors. "I always come here to think. Only those of the royal family are allowed beyond this point." he told her and placed a finger on her lips to silence her before she could question him. "You are, and always will be, the exception." he told her, removing his finger from her lips to cradle her cheek.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**  
Third Person POV  
Lily was speechless. When Jareth opened the doors, she wasnʼt expecting this. She had never seen anything so beautiful in any realm. There were brilliant colored flowers, dark green grass, lush trees, and a brick road that wound through the the entire maze of greenery. Jareth walked forward and turned to Lily, offering her his hand.

"Coming, love?" he asked, smirking at her. Lily blinked a few times before walking forward and taking Jarethʼs hand. He smiled warmly at her and held her hand in his while he led them into the gardens. "Itʼs beautiful here." Lily whispered, still amazement of everything around her.

Jareth looked down at her and chuckled. "It should be. This is the Royal Garden. There are flowers and trees here from almost every realm. Some are really quite rare now." he told her, smirking when she eyes widened slightly.

He lead her towards the middle of the garden where a marble gazebosat. In the center of the gazebo sat a water fountain. The clearest water Lily had ever seen outside of the Elven forests was spurting from its spouts. Jareth let go of Lilyʼs hand and let her go to the fountain. "Be careful." he warned when she went to touch it.

She looked at him questioningly. Jareth walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and took her hands in his. Slowly, he placed their joined hands into the water. Lily gasped as she felt how strange the water felt. It was freezing cold, but didnʼt freeze or make her hands numb like frozen water would.

"These are the Waters of Aleris. They have extraordinary magical powers. Itʼs said that they can heal any wound, no matter how grave it may be." he whispered into her ear, intertwining his fingers with hers.

Lily could feel the power running through her the longer she kept her hands in the water. Jareth must have sensed this, so he slowly withdrew their hands. Within seconds, the water that remained on their hands and seeped into their skin. Jareth watched as Lily examined her hands. He took her hands in his and sat down on one of the marble benches, pulling her down with him.

"Lily, Iʼve been waiting for this moment for as long as I can remember, when I first met you in Shirin Forest." Jareth started, brushing a few stray hairs behind Lilyʼs ear. Lily remembered that day like it was yesterday. She had been terrified, but was determined not to show weakness. It was always her number one lesson.

When he showed no sign of harming her, she couldnʼt describe what it was, but she felt safe around him. He let off a certain scent that was calming to her.

She looked down at their intwined hands and smiled, but waited for him to continue. "I knew when I first saw you, though I was in denial at the time, I would do anything for

you and be anyone you needed me to be." he said softly, refusing to look up at her. He was afraid of what heʼd see in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice a little strained from shock. Jareth sighed lightly and looked up at her. He couldnʼt tell what emotions were running through her at the time, but he did see a flash of hope in her eyes and that gave him to courage to continue his explanation.

"I would have been anyone you needed me to be. A father, a friend, an inamorato. Anything that you needed." he told her. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Whatʼs an inamorato?" she asked, looking into his eyes. He chuckled and leaned forward, lightly caressing her lips. He pulled away and cupped her cheek before answering. "An inamorato is a lover." he whispered and chuckled again when Lily blushed a deep red.

Lily swallowed before asking another question, hoping her voice didnʼt crack. "Why? Why me?" she asked, her voice no higher than a whisper. Jareth smiled lovingly at her. Even though she was much older than she looked, she was still naive. "Because fay have something we call the Vow. Itʼs when a fey meets their soulmate." he told her.

Lily couldnʼt believe what she was hearing. All through her childhood, she had thought he was just her friend. Someone who would listen when no one else would.

When she didnʼt answer, Jareth decided it might help to explain things a little more easier. "When you called me a few days ago and asked me to take your memories, I did it without question because I knew you had your reasons." he told her, taking her hands into his and rested them in her lap. "I hadnʼt seen or heard from you in over fifty years and when you did call, I couldnʼt stop myself from coming to your aid."

They were silent for what felt like hours to Lily. Lily finally got up the courage to say something and looked up from her lap and into his eyes. "Do you have any idea why I called you?" she asked. Jareth felt a tug at his heart when all he saw was sadness in her eyes when she asked him.

He slightly shook his head. "Lily, you donʼt have to tell me anything if you donʼt want to. I trust your opinion." he told her softly. Lily shook her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds before continuing. "I want you to know. You deserve to know after everything youʼve just told me." she told him, squeezing his hands lightly.

Jareth nodded and stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. Lily took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Lily took a moment to get her thoughts together and looked deep into his eyes. Jareth felt his heart wrench again when he looked back, almost into her soul, and all he saw was pain.

"Well, I donʼt really know where to start." she said and paused for a moment before continuing. "I guess I should start from the beginning. Not the very beginning, but where

 _we_ left off." she said, taking their hands and weaved their fingers together as she spoke. Jareth stay quiet, wanting to hear what made her soul so sad.

"The war started when I was fifteen, so I wasnʼt old enough to leave home yet. So, I stayed and finished my training until I was old enough to leave. I spent two more years at home until I decided it was time to go. When I left, I made my uncle promise that he wouldnʼt do anything stupid while I was gone, like partaking anyway in the war. He just laughed and told me to be careful.

"I left without a second thought. All I wanted was to leave and see anything and everything. I traveled for years. At least up until the war ended. Because I donʼt have a realm that I can say is my own, so I couldnʼt fight. The Contemptibles wouldnʼt take me because of what I am and the Unimpeachables wouldnʼt take me because they wouldnʼt put me in danger.

"So, I did what any other self respecting half elf, half asrai would do. I traveled from realm to realm learning and meeting new people. I met some wonderful and awful people. There were very few who would actually accept me though. I learned very quickly to keep my identity secret.

I spent years in the mortal realm. The humans seem more open-minded than other races. Thatʼs why I spent over thirty years there. I just loved their culture, I couldnʼt seem to leave. The I got word from an old friend that the war had ended. I decided it was time to go home and visit with my uncle." Lily explained, her voice only cracking slightly at her last statement.

She paused for a minute, breathing deeply to try and calm herself. She could feel the tears building up and she didnʼt want to start crying again. She had already done enough crying.

"I waited for a week before returning home, giving everyone time to resettle after the devastation of war. My uncle had given me a dressbefore I had left. He had told me it belonged to my grandmother and had passed it down to him when she had no daughters. He gave it to me. I thought, what better time to wear it?" she said, giving off a shaky laugh that showed how much her nerves were going all over the place.

Jareth gave her hands a reassuring squeeze and Lily looked up and smile at him before continuing. "I went back home and got the most surprising news in my life. I was halfway back to our tree when a messenger from the Elf King. He told me that the king wanted to talk with me as quickly as possible.

"I thought that there wouldnʼt be any problem with going to the king before going home. My visit was supposed to be a surprise for my uncle. When I got to the castle, I was told that my uncle had been called for a battle in the nymph realm. He died when an orc caught him in the back of the head with his sword." she said while tears were streaming down her face, her voice a whisper and cracking.

"Thatʼs why I called you. It all became too much. He was the only family I truly had. My fatherʼs dead and Iʼve never even met my mother. She wanted nothing to do with me when I was born and shoved the burden onto my uncle. I called you because I hoped deep down that you werenʼt just a fragment of my imagination and I still had someone." she said, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall freely.

Jareth moved closer to her and pulled her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. Jareth sat in silence, rubbing soothing circles into her back and let her calm down. After a few moments, Lilyʼs grip around Jarethʼs neck loosened and she pulled away slightly. Jareth pulled a handkerchief from one of his pockets and wiped away the tears that stained her cheeks.

"Iʼm sorry. It shouldnʼt have effected me so much." Lily whispered, laying her head on Jarethʼs shoulder. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of just being close to him. "You have no reason to apologize, love. You had every right to want a way out of the pain that you felt." he told her, wrapping his arms around her in a soothing manner.

"Iʼm glad though. About getting my memories back, that it." she said, nuzzling her nose into the crook of his neck, closing her eyes and inhaling his leather scent.

"And why is that, my Lily Pad?" he asked, smirking as he already knew the answer to his own question. Lily blushed and nuzzled her face deeper into the crook of his neck to hide it. "Because I get to be with you." she whispered. Jareth chuckled, lifting Lilyʼs head and holding her chin so she was forced to look him in the eye.

"Iʼm glad to hear you say that, love." he told her lowly before dipping his head and kissing softly, but passionately. He smirked a little when she was shy at first, but started to show enthusiasm. He liked to think that she was pure and didnʼt know the touch of a man, but he couldnʼt be certain. He hoped he was right, though.

He slowly pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, allowing her to regain her breath. "Lily, thereʼs something I must ask you." he told her after her breathing returned to normal. She opened her eyes, which had closed the second his lips touched hers, and looked into his. "Anything." she said, causing Jareth to grin.

He paused, taking a breath and cupping her cheek with his right hand as his left wound tightly around her waist. "Lily Valentine, will you mary me and rule by my side as Goblin Queen?" he asked, looking deep into her silver eyes, seeing into her soul again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

**Third Person POV**

Lilyʼs eyes widened and her heart stopped when Jareth reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a velvet jewelry box. She gasped when he opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. The diamonds wrapped all the way around the silver ring. Lily looked up from the ring at at Jarethʼs face.

She looked into his eyes and all she saw was love. She felt her eyes prick with tears for the second time that day, but this time, they were tears of happiness. It took her a moment to find her voice again before answering him. "Of course." she whispered.

Now it was Jarethʼs turn to feel tears form in his eyes. He was a little surprised. He hadnʼt cried in years. It was different now. This was the happiest moment of his life. He had been waiting for this moment for sixty-four years. He took the ring out the box, placing it back in his pocket, and slipped the ring onto her left hand ring finger.

Lily stared at the ring for a few moments before wrapping her arms around Jarethʼs neck and kissing him passionately. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days were hectic for both Jareth and Lily. Jareth had insisted on the wedding being as soon as possible. It had been four days since Jareth asked Lily to be his queen and now he was sitting in his study working out the last of the details. He had already sent a messenger to the Immortals, informing them that he was taking a queen.

He looked down at the papers that cluttered his desk. He had received a letter the day before informing him that they would send an Immortal to administer the wedding. He promised Lily that the ceremony would be small and that the only ones that would be there were the people of this realm.

He did this because he didnʼt want the news of his marriage reaching his parents as quickly. Having a small ceremony would give him time to prepare her for the "pleasure" of meeting his family. Jareth sighed, leaning back in his chair and pinching the bridge of his nose to rid himself of the headache that was slowly forming.

He jumped a little when there was a knock at the door. "Come in." he called and smiled when he looked up to see who it was. Lily stood in the doorway with her hands clasped behind her back in a dark brown dress. The sleeves looked like an over jacket that cut off at the shoulders and the dress only went down to about her knees.

No matter how simple the dress looked, he couldnʼt help but think she looked like a goddess in it.

Lily walked forward, shutting the door behind her as she did, and stopped in front of Jarethʼs desk. "Are you sure thereʼs nothing I can help with?" she asked softly, cocking her head to side slightly. Jareth chuckled and stood up from his chair. He made his way around the desk and stopped in front of Lily.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Lily smiled, wrapping her arms around his back and resting her head on his shoulder. With the heels that she was wearing, she didnʼt have to rest her head on his chest and came up to his shoulder.

"No need to worry, love. Iʼve got everything under control." he told her, bringing his hand up to run it through her hair, which cascaded down her back. When she was silent, he pulled away and cupped her cheek with one hand while the other rested on her hip. "Have you finished with the fitting for your dress?" he asked, his eyes shining with amusement.

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Not even halfway done." she said, annoyance thick in her voice. Jareth let out a deep laugh and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Lily let out a content sigh and leaned against Jareth again. Jareth smiled and wrapped his arms around her again, burying his face in her hair.

They stayed like that till there was a small knock on the study doors. Jareth let out an annoyed sigh and let go of Lily before head to the doors and opening them to reveal a very short, blond nymph. "Iʼm sorry, your Majesty, but the seamstress has requested that Ms. Valentine return to the sewing room to finish her fitting." she squeaked, never taking her eyes off the ground.

Lily groaned and walked up behind Jareth and smiled at the girl. "Let her know Iʼll be there in a few moments, Anastasia." she told her softly, smiling at the nymph. Anastasia looked up from the ground and nodded. She bowed to Jareth and left. Jareth turned to Lily and raised an eyebrow. "What? I didnʼt like sitting there doing nothing." she defended, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jareth chuckled and bent down to kiss her on the cheek before ushering me out the door. He brushed some hair behind her ear and ran his thumb across her cheek bone. "You should probably go before the seamstress gets agitated. Iʼve know the old coot for years and she doesnʼt take these things very lightly." he chuckled.

Lily laughed and leaned up, kissing him on the cheek before retreating down the corridor to the sewing room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aliessa fell from her perch on top of the six foot gold mirror when the sewing room doors opened unexpectedly. She caught herself before she hit the floor and looked up to see Lily walking into the room. "About time you got back. Mrs. Myers was getting a little impatient waiting for you to come back." she said, flying over to Lily and landing on her shoulder.

As if being called, Mrs. Myers walked into the room with a scowl on her childish face. Even though Jareth called her an old coot, she looked like a child. Her white hair went down to her waist and her bangs covered her eyes. She was about Lilyʼs height, a few

inches taller. Aliessa stifled a laugh as Mrs. Myers crossed her arms and shook her head.

"I understand that this is a tedious task, Ms. Valentine, but I must ask that you try not to run off again." she scolded. Aliessa flew off of Lilyʼs shoulder and took her place back on the mirror. She had been frightened when she lost Lily in the Labyrinth. She was even more frightened when two guards from the castle came to get her and take her back to the castle.

Lily sighed and started undoing her dress. She took it off and laid it on the back of one of the many chairs and walked up to the platform where her dress was waiting. The design of her dress was simple, but beautiful in her opinion. Even though it was strapless, the design of the top portion was completely elegant.

Mrs. Myers followed Lily up onto the platform and helped her into the dress so she could finish fitting the future Goblin Queenʼs wedding dress. Lily didnʼt understand why the dress needed to be altered. It fit perfectly in her opinion. Lily sighed and let Mrs. Myers do what she was trained to do and let her mind wander to what her future might be like with the Goblin King.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Third Person POV**

Jareth stood in the doorway of the castleʼs library, leaning against the door frame as he watched Lily reading in one of the many chairs. He had been informed the night before that Lilyʼs dress was done and was ready for the wedding. Jareth glanced at the window and he felt his heart flutter in his chest.

There were only a few more hours till the sun set and this day was over. The next day was their wedding. He finished up the last of the paper work moments ago and he planed on spending the rest of the evening with his intended. He walked into the room almost silently and stood behind the chair Lily was sitting in.

"Didnʼt anyone ever tell you itʼs rude to spy on people?" Lily asked, never looking up from the book in her hands. Jareth chuckled and rested his arms on the back of the chair. "I wouldnʼt have gotten anywhere if I hadnʼt done some spying, love." he responded. Lily looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow. She closed the book, placed it on the table next to the chair, and turned so she was sitting on her knees and facing the Goblin King. "Oh really?" she asked, amusement shining in her eyes.

"Really." he said and before she could retort to his response, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a gentle, but silencing kiss. Lily grinned into the kiss and pulled away. She cupped his cheek with her hand and smiled brightly at him. "Thank you." she whispered. Jareth raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What for, my dear?" he asked, placing his hand over hers, absently running his thumb over her ring.

"For everything. I finally feel like Iʼm somewhere I belong with someone who loves me. Sure my uncle loved me, but I didnʼt belong in the Elf Realm. I may not  _belong_ in this realm, but I feel like I do because Iʼm with you." she told him. Jareth gave her a small smile and closed the small distance between them to give her a loving kiss. Her hand fell from his cheek and wrapped around his neck.

When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers and opened his eyes, smirking when hers never opened. "You  _should_ feel at home here. After all, youʼre going to be here for forever." he told her, letting his eyes wander over her facial features. When Lily opened her eyes, she looked into his and smiled. "I feel more at home here then I have anywhere else." she whispered, running her fingers through his wild hair.

"Good." he said, pulling away from her grasp and laughed when she gave him a bad look. "How would you like to join me for a walk around the kingdom? It will also help for when you become queen." he asked, his voice not giving away any of his amusement as he fixed his gloves.

She faked thinking about his offer, then hoping off the chair and walking up to him. He got a good view of the outfit she was wearing today. She was wearing a wonderful blouse that showed off a wonderful amount of cleavage. Her skirt went up to her waist and flared out at the bottom. With the heels she was wearing, the top of her head came

up to about her nose and when she wrapped her arms around his waist, he could smell the strawberry scent her hair gave off.

"Iʼd love a tour around the kingdom." she told him, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him. He smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her as well. "I hope youʼll come to take as much pride in it as I do some day." he told her softly, brushing his fingers across her cheek.

"Iʼm sure I will." she responded softly, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch. He smiled down at her and kissed her on the forehead.

She gave a light giggle and pulled away. He took her hand and led her out of the library, talking about what it was like ruling over the Goblins and some of the other races that made this realm their home during and after the war. He lead her down stairs and to her surprise they didnʼt head outside.

"I thought we were going for a walk." she said, looking up at him confused. He chuckled and gave her hand a small squeeze. "We are. Just not what you had in mind." he told her, giving her a mischievous grin. She raised an eyebrow at him, but followed him nonetheless.

She became even more confused when he led her down to the stables. He motioned towards a Satyr. The Satyr nodded at the king and disappeared from their sight. Jareth turned to Lily and looked down at her, a smirk on his face. "I want you to close your eyes." he told her, bringing her hand up to kiss it before letting it go.

Lily looked at him skeptically, but took a deep breath and did as he asked. Jareth walked behind her and placed his hands on her hips. He waited for the Satyr to return and smirked. "Thank you, Arthur. Thatʼll be all." he said. The Satyr bowed respectfully and left his king and his lady alone in the stables.

"How much do you trust me, my Lily Pad?" he whispered into her ear, smirking when she shivered a little. She took a moment to get her thoughts back before answering so her voice wouldnʼt reveal how much he really affected her. He knew exactly what she was doing and this caused him to smirk even more. "With my life." she answered when she was sure her voice would work properly.

"Good." he purred, using his thumb to rub smooth circles into her hips. "Open your eyes." he told her. She complied and was speechless at what she saw. Her eyes widened and she spun around to look at Jareth. "Really?" she asked, her voice a little more higher pitched than normal due to the excitement lining it.

"Really." he told her, smiling at her reaction. She gave out a small squeal and threw her arms around his neck. "You have no idea what this means to me." she whispered, kissing him to the cheek and pulling away, much to Jarethʼs disappointment.

She spun back around to look at the beautiful beast that had been brought into the stable. Unicorns were extremely rare now and could only be found if they wanted you to find them. People hunted them because even the smallest drop of their blood could grant the drinker immortality. The immortals, of course, had banned the killings and the penalty was banishment to the Void.

No one was stupid enough to anger the Immortals enough to be banished to the Void. No one had ever been nor would anyone want to go willingly.

This unicorn was special though. It was evident in its coloring. It had black fur, a white mane and tail, and its horn was gold. What was most peculiar about this particular unicorn was its eyes. Its eyes were solid, light blue. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Jareth watched as Lily walked forward and run her hand over its muzzle. The Unicorn closed it eyes and leaned into her touch. She turned to him, not taking her hand off the beast, and smiled. "Whatʼs its name?" she asked.

He walked over and stood on the other side of the Unicorn. "Her name is Cassandra." he told her, a smile pulling at his lips as he looked at both Cassandra and Lily. "Sheʼs one of my most prized possessions. I found her when she was just a foal. She had managed to make her way into the Labyrinth. When I found her, she was badly injured and it took my most skilled healer to get her back into good health." he told her.

Lily smiled and looked at Cassandra with admiration. "Sheʼs beautiful. I can see why you take pride in her." she said softly. Then a sad expression came across her face. Jareth looked up at her. "Whatʼs wrong?" he asked, completely forgetting everything that didnʼt involve what might be upsetting her.

She looked up at him and the expression left her completely. "Nothing." she said, smiling. He could still see something deep in her eyes, but decided if she didnʼt want to talk about it, he wouldnʼt push her to.

Deciding to lighten the mood, he walked further down and stopped at the stirrup. Placing his foot in the hold, he jumped up and swung his leg over so he was mounted atop Cassandra. Lily looked up at him surprised. "I did say we were going for a walk. I didnʼt specify who would be doing to walking." he told her, giving her a smirk and offering her his hand. "Jareth, you know how I feel about riding horses. I donʼt mind being around them, but riding them is another thing." she said, shaking her head slightly.

Jareth just rolled his eyes and smirked again. "Iʼm well aware of your fear of horseback riding, dear. You wonʼt be riding alone. Iʼll be here the whole time. I wonʼt let anything happen to you. And Iʼm sure Cassandra wonʼt either. Sheʼs taken quite a liking to you." he said, giving her a mischievous grin. Lily bit her lip and contemplated her next move.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**  
Third Person POV  
 _A nine year old Lily sat on her bed cross-legged, her hair in a messy ponytail, and cradling her bandaged arm. She wiped away the dried tears from her face and cautiously rotated her arm. She winced when she felt searing pain in her shoulder and forearm. She looked up when there was a gush of wind through her window and a white barn owl flew into her room._

_She looked back down at her lap and felt new tears swelling. "Lily, love, what happened?" came a deep voice. She looked up to see Jareth kneeling in front of her bed, concern etched into his face. She couldnʼt help when the tears fell from her eyes. In a blink of an eye, Jareth had her sitting in his lap with her injured arm resting against his chest. "Come now, my Lily Pad. Tell me what happened." he said softly, stroking her hair._

_"Uncle said I had to learn horseback-riding." she said, wiping away the tears that had fallen. Jareth completely understood the moment the words fell from her mouth. He chuckled lightly. He stopped when she gave him a bad look, but the smile and the amusement in his eyes never left. He gingerly took Lilyʼs arm in one of his hands and conjured a crystal with another._

_Lily watched him curiously and winced he moved her arm. Jareth felt his heart wretch when she winced, but continued what he was doing. "Hold the crystal in your hand." he told her softly. He helped her wrap her fingers around the crystal. The crystal gave off a bright glow and then popped in Lilyʼs hand._

_She tentatively rotated her arm and was surprised when there was no shooting pain in her shoulder and forearm. She looked up at Jareth, confusion shining in her eyes. "If the wound is new and small enough, I can fix it easily." he told her, taking the hair tie out of her hair and letting it fall._

_"Youʼre much prettier with your hair down, love." he said softly, kissing her on the forehead before vanishing. Lily sat on her bed completely speechless. She looked at her arm skeptically and then smiled. She jumped off her bed and went downstairs._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You know, I broke my arm two more times after that." Lily said, placing her hand Jarethʼs. Jareth just shook his head and smiled at her. "Well, you know what they say. Practice makes perfect." he told her. Lily felt a warm feeling come over her and then she felt her legs become cooler. She looked down at herself and looked back up at Jareth.

"Really?" she asked. Jareth chuckled and leaned down so that his face was level with his. "I donʼt think it would have been very easy for you to ride in your other clothing." he said, the mischievous spark back in his eyes. Lily looked back down and rolled her eyes.

Her shirt was light gray with slightly puffed sleeves and buttons on both sides of the front. Around her waist was a brown and white waist corset to make the shirt fit better around her small waist. Her skirt was now pinstripe and gray while shorter in the front, but longer in the back. And her heels were replaced with a pair of tan boots that stopped about halfway to her knees and had buckles around the calf.

"Pants would have been a better option." she teased as he helped her onto Cassandra. "I agree, but I  _do_ enjoy the sight of you in a skirt." he said seductively when she was positioned in front of him, wrapping his arms around her waist and taking the reins in his hands. Lily only blushed and placed her hands on his forearms.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The ride was smooth and after a while she became relaxed enough that her grip on Jarethʼs forearms loosened and her hands trailed down to rest on his. They had about three hours till they had to be back at the castle so they were enough rested for the long day tomorrow.

Lily noticed that Jareth wasnʼt actually steering Cassandra. Cassandra was leading them. "Whereʼre we going?" Lily asked, turning slightly so she could look at Jareth. He looked down at her and smirked. "I have no idea. Iʼm letting Cassandra decide where we should go." he told her, tightening his grip around her waist.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cassandra kept leading them through the Labyrinth and Lily noticed that Jareth was slowly becoming more tense. Lily was about to ask Jareth what was wrong when Cassandra stopped outside of what looked like a cave built into the wall. Jareth tried to get Cassandra to take them away from that spot, but Cassandra refused to move.

Jareth hoped down from his mount and then helped Lily down as well. "Iʼm guessing Cassandra wants us to see something here?" Lily asked, starting feel a little frightened and the way Jareth was acting didnʼt help matters. When Jareth didnʼt answer, she walked over to the cave and was about to step inside when Jarethʼs hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back.

"I wouldnʼt go in there if I were you, Lily." he told her, pulling her further from the cave entrance. Lily looked up him, giving him a questioning look. Jareth shook his head and looked back at the cave.

"Aliessa told you that some creatures move to different realms when theirʼs have dried up and died. She also told you that some come here, but only after theyʼve gotten my permission." he told her. Lily nodded her head, remembering what Aliessa had said about Pixies and why they were in the Labyrinth.

"A while ago, a creature came into the Labyrinth without my knowledge. A creature that Iʼve never seen or heard of before. When I came to investigate, it injured me greatly for intruding on its space. I decided that if it wasnʼt hurting anyone intentionally, it wasnʼt much of a problem if it made its home here. If thereʼs a runner in the Labyrinth, I make sure they stay clear of this area." he went on.

He then turned to Cassandra and looked into her eyes. He seemed to be communicating with her in some strange way. "I donʼt understand why she would bring us here." he said, crossing his arms and placing a hand on his chin in thought. Lily looked into the cave and saw a pair of large red eyes.

Oddly enough, she wasnʼt afraid. Those red eyes, when she looked into them, seemed to have a calming effect on her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Third Person POV**

While Jareth was still contemplating why Cassandra had brought them here, he failed to notice the two red eyes that were locked on Lily as they came closer and closer. Lily was transfixed as she stared back into the eyes of whatever beast was in the cave. The creature stopped just before coming close enough to the edge of the cave so the sun would reveal it.

"We should leave. Even if we canʼt get back with Cassandra, I can still teleport us back to the castle. Sheʼll be able to make her way back to the castle. If not, Iʼll send Arthur out to collect her." Jareth said, starting to pace a little.

The beast heard what the Goblin King was saying. In the flash of an eye the beast pounced. Jareth heard Lilyʼs scream and was about to jump into action when her screams turned into laughter. The beastʼs tail was wagging and it was licking Lilyʼs face. The beast was very different from the last time Jareth had seen it.

When Jareth had last seen it, it had been a lion that was twice the size of a regular lion. Now it was a wolf. A larger than normal wolf, but a wolf nonetheless.

"Okay, okay! Calm down!" he heard Lily gasping under the beast. Jareth had a perplexed expression as he watched the wolf do as she asked and sat next to her, waiting for her to sit up and catch her breath. She looked up at Jareth and he couldnʼt help the small smile that was tugging at his lips when he saw the immense smile on her face.

The wolf gave off an extremely loud bark, trying to get Lilyʼs attention. Lily turned back to the wolf and used its back to help herself get up off the ground. "You could have done so many things and this is how you do it." she said to the beast, brushing dirt off her skirt.

The wolf just shook its head and made a grunting noise in the back of its throat. This caused Lily to laugh lightly. "You do make a good point." she said. Jareth was bewildered. "Lily?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lily spun around and there was a sparkle in her eyes that wasnʼt there before.

"Jareth, I know why Cassandra brought us here." she said, the smile on her face growing even more. He waited for her to continue.

"Remember when I said you were on of the few friends I had as a child? Well, you were the second and last friend I made. I think I should start from the beginning. But first, do you think we could go somewhere more comfortable, my back hurts a little now." she said, a light blush coming to her cheeks from rambling.

The wolf walked up to Lily, nudged her hand, and when she lifted it, it nuzzled its head into her side. Lily smiled down at the beast and scratched behind its ear. "Of course." Jareth said, giving the beast that was fawning over Lily a skeptical look. "But tell me this. What is it?" he asked, nodding to the wolf.

Lily let off a light laugh. "His name is Angelus. It could take me some time to explain who and what he is. I can tell you he means the world to me, though." she said, looking back down and giving the wolf a loving smile. Jareth only raised an eyebrow. He extended his hand for Lily to take. She gave him a smile and took his hand.

With a puff of wind and they were all transported back to the castle. Jareth made sure Cassandra was transported back down to the stable and he, Lily, and Angelus were somewhere more comfortable. Lily looked around the room and then turned back to Jareth with a confused look.

"I donʼt remember this room in the grand tour." she said, raising an eyebrow. Jareth smirked at her and lead her over to a very comfortable looking couch. As soon a Lily sat down, Angelus jumped up and sprawled across her lap. Jareth couldnʼt help but think the way they acted with each other was adorable.

Jareth suppressed a grin and sat at the other end of the couch, crossing his legs and folding his hands under his chin. They were quiet for a moment until Lily broke the silence. "I think I should start from the beginning." she said, absently stroking Angelusʼ head. Jareth gave her a small, but reassuring smile.

She took a deep breath before going into her story.

"When I was little, about two I think, about a month after my uncle became my caretaker, he had to take me for a counsel with the Elven Elders. Because I was half Elf, I had to go through what is known as the Ludicio. All Elves go through it the day theyʼre born, but since I was born in the Asrai realm, I wasnʼt able to.

"The Ludicio is a magical test that Elves are put through to see what their future holds. If their future is significant enough, theyʼre assigned what are known as Tutores or Guardians. Angelus is  _my_ Custos. There is no specific race thatʼs chosen as a Custos. Itʼs usually who or whatever is able to protect that Elf.

"Angelus doesnʼt have a specific race. Heʼs a shapeshifter thatʼs only able to change into the forms of animals. Thatʼs why when you first say him, he was a lion. He usually takes the form of a wolf or a small cat, so Iʼm not sure why he was a lion." she said, pausing a moment to think about it. When she came up with nothing, she continued.

"When the war started, Angelus and I were separated. I had hoped I would have been able to find him while I was traveling, but obviously wasnʼt successful. I  _should_ have been able to sense where he was, but my magic hasnʼt worked properly since I turned seventeen.

"An Elf and their Custos have a very special bond. Theyʼre born on the exact same date and at the exact same time. They grow up together, even though the Custos ages quicker and matures faster. The Custos can communicate telepathically with their Elf and thatʼs how itʼs able to communicate with its Elf without speaking. One canʼt survive without the other. If one dies, so does the other. Thatʼs why itʼs hard for us to be apart for long periods of time and why a Custos will do anything to protect their Elf.

"Weʼre a part of each other." she said, a smile on her lips as she looked down at Angelus who had fallen asleep peacefully on her lap. She shifted a little and pulled something out of her pocket. At closer inspection, Jareth saw that is was blue charm with what looked like wire around it.

She carefully lifted Angelusʼ head and wrapped the charm around his neck and tied it so that it laid on his chest in a prominent way. "Itʼs a symbol of the Valentine family. He lost it just before we were separated. I always kept it with me in case we I found him again."

Jareth sat in silence, taking in everything Lily had just told him. Heʼd known she was special, but special enough that the Elven Council would think she needed a guardian?


End file.
